By Shelley Kaehr

One of my lofty New Year’s Resolutions is about to come true.  I wrote down – yes, I put it in writing – that  I wanted to write and produce a stage play this year, and now, thanks to Rover Dramawerks of Plano, my dream resolution is about to become reality this Saturday night at 8 p.m.

You see, the thought had just popped into my mind when I attended a New Year’s Eve day luncheon.  I wrote my list of resolutions in my friend’s little red book of accountability and began to mix and mingle with some of her guests.  As serendipity would have it, I happened to be sitting next to a board member from Rover Dramawerks, who told me about a 24 Hour playwriting festival in February.

As a result, I became one of seven playwrights who will be producing original plays this weekend.  Here’s how it works:  apparently we will meet for the first time on Friday night, have a little party of sorts and then the writers will pull something from a hat.  Whatever I pull will become the subject of my short play, which I will have to stay and write and turn into the director on Saturday morning.  Then he or she will cast it, actors will prepare, and the entire production will go from concept to stage on Saturday evening at 8:00p.m.  I needed a little excitement and challenge in my life and I am happy to say I believe this will do the trick!

***

In preparation for my theatrical debut, I’ve been going to the theater lately.  Last week, I went to see the double feature S*x and War, two original plays by MBS Productions which were performed at the Stone Cottage in Addison.

Both plays featured one actor (Jamie Cooper) and one actress (Charli Armstrong) who did an exemplary job.

The space is small in Stone Cottage, yet Director Mark-Brian Sonna designed the set to accommodate both plays without the need for set change and the space was well used.

I was really impressed with both of these scripts, because for me, any theatrical experience is always about the writing.  The dialogue between the male and female characters was realistic with perfectly executed comedic timing and the chemistry between the actors made the entire experience worthwhile.

S*x and War runs through February 19th at the Stone Cottage Theatre, 15650 Addison Road, Addison, TX 75001.  For tickets and more information, visit http://mbsproductions.net

***

My second theatre experience came out of the blue when my otherwise boring Valentine’s Day evening was spared when a friend called at the last second to invite me to Travesties, playing through March 12 at Theater 3 in the Quadrangle.

According to the Theatre 3 playbill, “Travesties is an imaginative script based on historical figures from Art and Politics mixing it up (and living it up) in Switzerland during World War 1.”   Written by British playwright Tom Stoppard, Newsweek magazine calls Stoppard, “…the master comedian of ideas in the English language.”  So I figured it must be good, right?

The play is seen through the eyes of English consular official Henry Carr, who recounts his life in Switzerland during World War I and the chance encounters he had with three major personalities of the day – Irish author James Joyce, communist Lenin and the founder of the obscure Dada movement, Tristan Tzara.  Carr’s old age and senility cloud his perceptions of memory and make great comedic entertainment.

The first half of the play was fast paced and well acted, but hard to follow thanks to such brilliant dialogue, it was well over the heads of nearly everyone there.  One of my companions said she was completely lost and decided to bail in favor of getting to bed early.  Too bad for her.

I was recently telling someone about my take on Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction. I know the film is critically acclaimed, but for me, even though I kept watching, hoping and praying there would be a point, in my mind, there never was.

Fortunately, Travesties didn’t let me down.  The second half was fantastically scripted and all the loose ends were neatly wrapped up in an incredibly entertaining bundle.

The highlight of the night was the performance by the actor who played Henry Carr.  I was blown away by his alternating depictions of the elderly senile geezer and the younger version of himself.

At intermission, just before walking my friend to the door, I peeked in my program to read about the incredible actor who played Carr.  His name is Jakie Cabe, and when I read that, I about fell out of my chair.  You see, I went to college with Jakie over twenty years ago at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina.  Talk about a small world!  Regardless of whether or not I knew him – and yes, he did remember me after the show – Jakie was a revelation in this part, and for that reason alone, you should go see this play.

I was also incredibly impressed with other members of the cast including David Dixon, whose realistic Irish accent and mannerisms in the part of James Joyce were spot on, and Jackie Kemp, whose turn at Lenin was so realistic I thought the director must have found a resident of Dallas’ Russian population to play the part.  Maribeth Ayers Stickel’s Cecily was outstanding too.  She really pulled in the audience with her booming voice and personality.  Greg Forshay was wonderful as Carr’s champagne guzzling manservant.

The set was creatively staged with a Swiss cuckoo clock framing the declining mental capacities of Henry Carr.  The library dangled from the ceiling under a spiral staircase, and a wraparound circulation desk and two tables comprised the library area where Lenin studied.  I was impressed with the staging of simultaneously occurring scenes.  Scenes alternated with black outs,  reminiscent of any nightly TV drama.

Overall this was a wonderful show, highly recommended.  Travesties runs through March 12.  http://www.theatre3dallas.com

***

I hope this has whetted your appetite for live theater.  I personally enjoy the immediacy of the stage, the fact that anything can happen because it is LIVE.  It’s the same reason why I’ve enjoyed my time in live radio over the years.

If you’re in the mood for true spontaneity, I hope you’ll come to my world premiere at Rover Dramawerks One Day Only Sixteen Concept to Curtain in 24 Hours Festival this Saturday night February 19th at 8p.m. at the Courtyard Theatre 1509 H Avenue in Plano.

What is my play called?  What is it about?  Ah, that’s the beauty of the thing – I have no clue!  I won’t know until sometime in the wee hours of Friday overnight to Saturday.

This show features SEVEN world premiers and is sure to provide some hilarious moments. Tickets are only $12 for general admission and $10 for students and seniors.  Get tickets now at http://www.roverdramawerks.com and I’ll see you on Saturday night!

Shelley Kaehr is author of over forty books and novels.
Visit her online at: www.ShelleyKaehr.com
or on her fiction sites at:
www.AnnetteShelley.com
www.LeahLeonard.com

You read that right.  12.5″ of snow fell at DFW International Airport in 24 hours.  That’s a new record. That brings the total for the year to 15.7″… so far.  11.2″ of that fell on Thursday.  That broke the previous one day record of 7.8″ by a long shot.

Hundreds of shcools and businesses were forced to close both Thursday and Friday. And according to Oncor Electric, there were more than 200,000 homes and businesses without power in North Texas.  Oncor said they brought in about 1500 contractors to help repair the power lines downed by tree brances that broke due to the weight of the heavy snow.

One group it didn’t seem to bother were the school kids in our neighborhood.  They were building snowmen and snow forts and having snowball fights all up and down our block.  They were having a blast.

For me, it’s pretty, but I’ve had enough.  If I count right, that’s four snowfalls this year.  That’s more than any year since we moved from Michigan to Dallas 10 years ago to get away from the snow.  I actually had to shovel my driveway.  Do you believe that?

Well… I guess maybe I can put up with that once every 10 years or so.

Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images.

The Dallas Mavericks rolled to the biggest win in franchise history, ignoring the absence of starters Jason Kidd and Erick Dampier to crush the New York Knicks, 128-78, yesterday.

Drew Gooden stepped into the lineup with 15 points and 18 rebounds, Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry each scored 20 points, and the Mavericks put on a shooting clinic in beating the Knicks for the eighth straight time.

Dallas shot 58 percent from the field and was 12 of 22 from beyond the arc and 16 of 17 from the foul line.

The Mavericks led by as much as 53 and outscored the Knicks by 70-31 over the middle two quarters on the way to bettering their 149-104 rout of Golden State on Jan. 15, 1985.

Jose Barea replaced point guard Kidd in the lineup and scored 11 points, and rookie Rodrique Beaubois backed him up with 13.

As reported by the Philadelphia Inquirer:

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/sports/20100125_Mavs_bury_Knicks__win_by_50.html

Whether it is a family vacation or a convention, tourists have their own reasons for making a trip to Dallas. Dallas is a place known for its business buff, it’s shopping and its restaurants. As one of the most astonishing cities in Texas, Dallas stands tall as a phoenix for its popular contributing culture such as the cheerleaders, the Cowboys football team and the Dallas soap opera. Tourists make it a point that they visit the top listed places during their trip to Dallas. In my article I have mentioned all the top most places of Dallas to visit in alphabetical order. Book cheap flights to your travel destination and save more money.

Ameriquest Field (The Ballpark in Arlington): An excellent architectural place with a brilliant history of the city, located between Ft.Worth and Dallas gives you an actual taste of baseball. Those who all love baseball it is a must place to visit, and if it is a baseball season make an attempt to attend a Rangers game and enjoy the unique experience. Many tourists are not aware about the Legends of Baseball museum situated on site, without buying a ticket you can visit the museum, which features mainly on the baseball history of Texas. You and your children can spend entire day at the sports art gallery, nearby restaurant and in a souvenir shop at the Ballpark.

The Dallas Arboretum: Many tourists consider Dallas as a place for skyscrapers, but a trip to the Arboretum will change their decision. Arboretum is located on the shores of White Rock Lake, few minutes from downtown Dallas. With about 66 acres land, Arboretum is a paradise place with lots of floral display and trees spread around. After running full day around the city, Arboretum is an excellent place for anybody to unwind and relax. Apart from watching the wonderful landscaping and gardens, you can also enjoy visiting several historical mansions, take in stunning views of the Dallas skyline and the White Rock Lake.

Dealey Plaza: A landscaped parked situated on the western side of downtown, it was created as a gateway to Dallas. Dealey Plaza became famous after the assassination of President John F.Kennedy, Grassy Knoll and the sixth floor museum of school Book Depository are the places for the visitors to explore and most atribute to President Kennedy, Dealey Plaza is a memorable place to remember about the event in Dallas. “Old Red” Courthouse facing Dealey Plaza, is now a meusem, open for the tourists and the local visitors. Kennedy Memorial placed right behind “Old Red” features the unfulfilled promise and the dreams of the Kennedy President. Within a few walking distance you can come across many train stations, hotels, and the Holocaust Museum.

The Fort Worth Stockyards: The Ft.Worth Stockyards is known as a National Historic District, mixture of modern entertainment and Old West. A vintage train known as “Tarantula Train” runs from the Stockyards to Grapevine are among the Stockyards attraction. Other attractions include the Cowtown Coliseum, Texas Cowboy Hall of fame and the Cowtown Opry Hotels.

The Fort Worth Water Gardens: The Water Gardens situated between Houston and Commerce Streets in downtown, is renowned and designed by Phillip Johnson. The garden features three pools with the famous cascading falls into the central pool and a pathway made up of stones across the falling waters.

Lone Star Park at Grand Prairie: Situated near I-30 just off Belt Line Road, it is a grand palace of horse racing. The beautifully designed place provide facility of From April to July thoroughbred horses race all the world class track amenities, and from September to November quarter horses run. Horse racing is hosted seven days a week, if you don’t want to miss a specific horse racing event you can keep a track about the schedules. Lone Star Park usually organized family activities and concerts during holidays. From just a three minutes away lies the famous Palace of Wax and the Ripley’s Believe IT or Not! And a five minutes distance for Hurricane Harbor, Six flags Over Texas and the Ballpark in Arlington. For all those thrill-seekers there is a skater’s park nearby the Lone Star’s entrance.

The Nasher Sculpture Center: The Nasher Sculpture Center is one of the most talked about destinations of Dallas located downtown in the Arts District. On the concept of “roof-less”museum, it has been built. Famous works and master pieces, including Picasso highlight the center. Apart from featuring the famous Nasher collection, number of impressive traveling exhibitions is also displayed. For those who want to look out for conventional and impressive art museum, the Dallas Museum of Art is located nearby.

The best time for the tourist to visit Dallas is in the spring and autumn seasons. During spring, you can enjoy visiting the gardens and parks which is blessed with nature’s beauty.

Globester.com an online cheap airline tickets seller brings you very private and negotiated airfare to domestic and International cities departuring from USA. You can book flights to Dallas and save more money on your air travel.

[mage lang="" source="youtube"]dallas restaurants[/mage]